Do I Have to Pay for the Water Pipes Too?

The celebration lasted until the dead of night. On their final night in the Great Desert, if Chu Guang hadn't acted quickly and launched a limited-time loot crate event on the official website, the rowdy players would have stayed up partying in the game until dawn. These folks practically wished they could live inside the "game world"... Early the next morning, Chu Guang got out of bed. Yawning as he lifted the tent flap, he stepped out and immediately saw Rama standing at the entrance, wearing the Type 10 "Oath" exoskeleton. The exoskeleton had been captured from the Enlightenment Society. It was a standard-issue model of the People's Federation Army, designed with a greater emphasis on protection against rifle rounds and explosive fragments compared to the police-issue Type 5 "Light Cavalry." After repairing it, the Alliance had repainted it cement-gray and applied IFF markings, officially integrating it into Alliance inventory. To familiarize herself with using the exoskeleton as quickly as possible, she had kept it on almost continuously since receiving it—even while sleeping. Seeing Chu Guang emerge from the tent, Lü Bei, who was standing guard outside, promptly stepped forward and saluted. "My Lord, she has been standing here since daybreak." Chu Guang nodded, turned to Rama by the door, and spoke in a gentle tone. "Is something the matter?" Imitating Lü Bei, Rama pressed her right fist against her chest and lowered her head respectfully. "Last night, you told me that you would arrange my future duties this morning." Right, he had indeed mentioned that. Chu Guang had originally planned to ask Captain Adria what he had wanted to discuss the previous night. But figuring the big-nosed fellow was probably still asleep, he turned back to Rama. "Since you've already put on this armor, I assume you've mentally prepared yourself, so I won't waste words." Pausing briefly, Chu Guang continued. "Follow me. I'll introduce you to someone." "Who?" "Your future partner." Partner? Rama was taken aback, but seeing Chu Guang already brush past her and walk toward the other side of the camp, she hurried to follow. The group arrived before another tent. Just then, the tent flap lifted, revealing a fair, pretty face to Rama's view. It was a dignified woman with light-blonde hair gathered into a high ponytail with a simple ribbon. At first glance, a thought instantly struck Rama's mind: this woman seemed to belong to an entirely different world from her own. Even though she wore only an ordinary jacket and sturdy denim trousers, it was difficult to entirely conceal the elegance in her gestures and posture. A distant concept surfaced in Rama's mind—she resembled a young lady from a wealthy landlord's family, yet wasn't quite the same. "Respected Administrator... good morning." Seeing the Administrator, Teresa showed a look of surprise and curtsied slightly. "Good morning to you as well." After a brief greeting, Chu Guang looked at Rama beside him and introduced her. "This is the girl I mentioned to you over the phone." At those words, Teresa's eyes lit up as she looked at the woman in the exoskeleton. "You must be Ms. Rama?" Rama responded self-consciously. "Yes, that's me... And you are?" Teresa curled her lips into a warm smile and said pleasantly, "My name is Teresa, a resident from the Alliance... Though saying it like that might sound a bit odd, since from now on, this place is also one of the Alliance's restoration zones." "She was once one of the Falcon Kingdom's royal consorts, but she has relinquished that identity and is now a resident of the Alliance." Seeing Rama looking bewildered, Chu Guang succinctly introduced Teresa's past, then continued: "Initially, she handled odd jobs and bookkeeping at Refugee Home. After Falling Leaves City was founded, she traveled with the expeditionary force through the Lion Kingdom to the Honey Badger Kingdom, overseeing the management of relief supplies, participating in postwar reconstruction, and aiding local survivors." "According to evaluations from her former superior, Ma Ban, the castellan of Falling Leaves City, and her former partner, Yade of the Honey Badger Kingdom, her performance has been outstanding. Therefore, I intend to appoint her as the castellan of Pioneer City, responsible for handling the settlement's administrative and governance affairs." Just like with the other survivor settlements, the first castellan of Pioneer City would still be appointed by the Alliance. Chu Guang needed someone with sufficient managerial and practical experience, who had carried out hands-on survivor relief work, and who could understand the Alliance's creed. As for background? That was never an issue in the Alliance. His chief of staff had originally been a surrendered Wilante officer, the castellan of Dawn City had once been a mere serf, and the castellan of Daybreak City had previously been a refugee fleeing the disasters of war. As for Rama, she had no management experience, and she personally preferred to be a warrior rather than sit in an office pushing papers. Grasping Rama's hands, Teresa looked intently into the girl's honest eyes and spoke earnestly. "I heard your story. Your determination to stay behind for the sake of those who haven't yet been saved deeply moved me. I want to do something for everyone through my own efforts as well... Please lend me your strength in the days ahead!" Faced with such a fervent gaze, Rama felt increasingly embarrassed, and her voice wavered slightly. "I... I actually just made up my mind to become a warrior. I'm not even very skilled with a gun yet. I might not be as dependable as you think..." "Not at all," Teresa said softly, her lips curving. "Everyone starts from knowing nothing. What matters more than results is courage and determination. In my eyes, you are the most dependable choice." "Before joining the Alliance, I was merely a decorative vase kept in a royal court. Only after meeting many people did I gradually realize that, beyond the scripted parts of life, there are many things far more worth pursuing... Compared to someone like me, who came to understand things so late, you are already very strong for having the courage to step forward and face the brutality of the wasteland." The rigid tension in Rama's expression began to soften, and her sunken eye sockets involuntarily reddened. Chu Guang glanced at Teresa with slight surprise. Having not seen her for a while, she truly had grown considerably. He could already see traces of a politician in her, even if she remained somewhat unpolished in certain areas. Pioneer City would be a challenge for her. The settlement currently had a small population, but in the future, it would take in many survivors from across the Great Desert. Among them would be wastelanders, blue jackets, and even old popsicles from two centuries ago. Handling the relationships between different groups, meeting their needs with limited resources, and uniting them instead of letting internal friction tear them apart... the problems she would face would pile up like a mountain. Nevertheless, Chu Guang had plenty of confidence in her. Putting aside her résumé, anyone who could clear the "dungeon" of Honey Badger City despite bearing the debuff of royal blood had essentially graduated from under his wing. Yet whenever he thought about this, Chu Guang couldn't help but feel exasperated. Lü Bei, that simple lad, had followed him for so long and stayed so close. By all rights, he should have gained some worldly wisdom, yet he remained completely unchanged. Aside from revering Chu Guang even more than before, the young man hadn't evolved one bit. Chu Guang didn't dislike the loyal youth—loyalty was a precious quality. It was just a pity that he was still far from becoming a pillar capable of standing on his own. Originally, Chu Guang had considered sending him out to serve as commander of the Alliance's Third Corps, but now it seemed the Guards Corps remained a better fit for him. Withdrawing his gaze from Teresa, Chu Guang looked back at Rama. "I said I would assign your specific duties today." "The Alliance plans to establish a new corps. This corps will primarily undertake search and reconnaissance missions, operating as special forces. It will be permanently stationed in the Great Desert region, using Pioneer City as its base of operations." "You will serve as this corps' commander. Your mission is not only to search for survivors in the ruins and eliminate mutant tribes, but also to recruit reliable companions from among the rescued survivors, teach them how to use weapons, and encourage them to join your cause." Pausing briefly, Chu Guang continued: "Just as Teresa said, a lack of experience is never a problem with me. People always go from not knowing to knowing... By this time next year, I hope to see an outstanding corps commander leading a group of seasoned warriors." Rama struck her right fist against her chest and said solemnly, "I will not fail your expectations!" Chu Guang smiled, nodding at the brave girl, then turned his gaze toward the survivors' tents in the distance. "Those people chose to stay behind with you." "Just make sure you don't fail their expectations." ... Regarding the name of this newly formed corps, Chu Guang had originally intended to ask for Rama's input, but she had looked entirely lost and couldn't make up her mind. In the end, the troublesome task of naming fell right back into Chu Guang's hands. Lacking any good inspiration and unwilling to waste time on trivial details, he simply created a poll thread on the forum to solicit ideas from the players. To Chu Guang's surprise, an issue he found tedious sparked tremendous enthusiasm among the players, who eagerly tossed out all sorts of suggestions. However, the proposals were wildly eccentric. Everything from the Eleventh Space Marine Legion to the Order of Battle Sisters had popped up... What did these guys take the Alliance for? Ultimately, Chu Guang selected a name that was reasonably sound and easy to remember, simplifying it to match the conventions of the Alliance's other corps. "...How about the Thorns Corps?" Thorns Corps... Rama silently repeated the name several times. She suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of revelation, or perhaps a calling. Pressing her right fist to her chest, she said in a solemn voice, "Thank you, Administrator, for granting us this name." From the look of it, she seemed very satisfied with the choice. Chu Guang nodded and said cheerfully, "Then it is settled." With that, the Thorns Corps was officially founded. Originating from the wilderness, its members would recruit like-minded companions from among the rescued survivors. Of course, just like the other NPC corps, the Thorns Corps also welcomed players interested in the Great Desert to join its ranks. ... Not long after Chu Guang finished detailing the Thorns Corps' duties to Rama, Captain Adria finally woke from his deep slumber. Clutching his splitting headache, Adria grabbed his aide, spraying spit as he barked: "...Where's Chu Guang? The Alliance's Administrator... Go call him over! Tell him I have urgent matters to discuss!" Looking at his still-drunken superior, the aide said with a wry smile, "Sir, the Alliance's airship is already preparing to weigh anchor. I saw their Administrator right by the gondola... If you had slept any longer, you probably wouldn't have caught him." Hearing that, Adria gave a sudden start, his drunkenness vanishing in an instant. "Weigh anchor?" The aide nodded. "Yes... word is they plan to return to the River Valley Province." "Take me there, quickly!" Watching Adria roll out of bed, the aide froze for two seconds before hastily answering, "Yes, sir!" With no time to wash up, Adria threw on his coat and hurried out the door. After a brisk jog, he finally caught Chu Guang before the Heart of Steel lifted its anchor chains. The man had drunk heavily the day before and reeked of alcohol, causing Chu Guang to frown and take a step back. Frankly, the fellow had some nerve. Less than half a month had passed since the ceasefire was signed, yet he dared to get dead drunk in an enemy camp. Busy just now with delegating duties for the new settlement and corps, Chu Guang had nearly forgotten about him. "*Burp*—thank you for your hospitality." Rubbing his puffy eyes, Adria forced himself to look presentable, clearing his throat vigorously to appear less disheveled. "Next time there's an opportunity, I'll treat you to a couple of drinks." Looking at the drunken officer, Chu Guang quipped, "You're welcome. As long as you don't feel embarrassed, you can stay here tonight as well." Feeling embarrassed after all, Adria cleared his throat with a flushed face and pressed on. "I have a proposal." Chu Guang said, "Go ahead." Adria spoke at a rapid clip: "Your camp is so vast, and now that a contingent of people has left, so many barracks are sitting empty. Rather than letting them go to waste, how about lending us a few?" The Alliance soldiers had been continuously expanding the camp previously, leaving many barracks behind once constructed. While their amenities weren't fully luxurious, they at least had running water and electricity—far more comfortable than the shoddy tents carried aboard their airship. It was now November, and winter had set in across the northern hemisphere. Even if this year was a mild winter as usual, snow would fall by December at the latest. Considering the specific heat capacity of sand, night temperatures in the Great Desert could drop below minus ten degrees Celsius. Staying in those linen tents might very well freeze people to death... Seeing Captain Adria's sheepish look, Chu Guang didn't give him a hard time and asked casually, "How many do you want?" "One hundred..." Noticing Chu Guang's expression turning odd, Adria hurriedly explained, "Of course, I won't borrow your rooms for free... I'll pay! How about paying in dinars?" Watching Adria scramble to explain, Chu Guang couldn't help but find it amusing. If it were ordinary wastelanders or a smaller survivor settlement, these big-nosed soldiers would likely have seized what they wanted by force rather than negotiate payment. This haggling posture hardly matched the haughty air of those high-and-mighty officers. "Pay? What use do I have for dinars?" Seeing Captain Adria still trying to press the matter, Chu Guang had a sudden idea and added, "Have your governor talk to me. I can't settle this clearly with you." Seeing that there was still room for negotiation, Adria's spirits instantly rebounded from rock bottom, and he said at once, "Alright! Wait for me!" "You'd better make it quick," Chu Guang glanced at the time on his VM and said briskly. "We plan to depart at noon." ... Without lingering in the Alliance camp, Captain Adria immediately returned to the bivouac beside the airship Adjudicator. Through the on-board communications officer, he contacted Governor Cohen, who had just woken up in a lavish hundred-square-meter bedroom, and reported the predicament facing him and his officers. To sum it up in a single sentence: the Adjudicator had suffered major damage that would take considerable time to fully repair. Barring any surprises, over a thousand men would have to spend the winter in the Great Desert. Although food and drink could be brought in from the Falcon Kingdom, security remained an unresolved problem. In particular, the Enlightenment Society was watching hungrily from the shadows; nobody could guarantee those sewer rats wouldn't launch another attack. After hearing Captain Adria's woes, Cohen had no choice but to bite the bullet and transmit a communication request to Chu Guang, expressing his wish to rent some barracks in the camp for the Wilante personnel stranded in the Great Desert. However, upon hearing Chu Guang's asking price, Cohen nearly choked. "One hundred silver coins a day for one room?! Have you lost your mind?" Looking at Cohen in the holographic projection, Chu Guang replied without a hint of shame: "That's the going rate across all of Dawn City. Of course, if you rent by the month, I can offer you a ten-percent discount." Naturally, that was not the rate in Dawn City. Taking the Highway Town inn in Dawn City as an example, the cheapest room didn't even cost ten silver coins a day. However, that didn't stop him from using inflated numbers to extort a hefty sum from these Wilante. Chu Guang knew full well that even if he doubled the quote, it would still be vastly cheaper than building a camp of their own in the Great Desert. If nothing else, the fresh water supply alone was an almost insurmountable hurdle under the Wilante's current circumstances. To drill for water in the Great Desert required a well at least a hundred meters deep. Given the Falcon Kingdom's current industrial capacity, they had no means to accomplish that unless they transported drilling rigs all the way from west of the Great Desert. Pinching the bridge of his aching nose, Cohen said through a headache: "...Where the hell am I supposed to get your blasted coins... Would silver ore work?" "No need for that," Chu Guang waved his hand. "Although we use silver coins, we are not on a silver standard. Do you understand?" Cohen glared at Chu Guang, biting out each word: "What do you actually want? At worst, we can just—" Chu Guang coughed lightly, cutting him off. "Bister Town needs fresh water. I plan to lease a water supply section from the river dike on Oasis 2 closest to town, and then build a pipeline to Bister Town to resolve the local residents' domestic and industrial water needs... For a ten-year term, how does one million silver coins sound?" Pausing, he added: "Of course, we could also draw water from Oasis 3, but compared to Oasis 2 right next door, a hundred and seventy kilometers of pipeline is far too expensive. After ten years, we can pay you based on consumption. What do you think?" This proposal was modeled after the setup at Petra Fortress. According to several players from the White Bear Knights, the fresh water there was purchased from the nearest river dike and paid for by volume. However, Cohen was a newcomer who didn't know the market and likely had no idea what output a single water supply section could yield. Thus, Chu Guang didn't bother discussing usage volume and leased it by time instead. In truth, the maximum output of a single water supply section could supply one million cubic meters of fresh water a year—equivalent to half the volume of Poyang Lake. Ten years was enough for him to conjure an underground lake out of thin air in the desert. As for the remaining energy reserves in the river dike? Who on earth knew. The fresh water produced by the river dike was like the oil buried beneath the feet of those oil-rich tycoons back in the real world: pumped every single day without ever seeming to diminish. As long as it was available, one might as well use it. After all, it was a desalination facility powered by nuclear fusion; ten measly years would hardly exhaust it. Just as Chu Guang anticipated, Cohen's focus was entirely elsewhere, completely bypassing the question of how much water a single supply section could produce. Staring hard at Chu Guang for a long while, he suddenly blurted out the most trivial question. "Am I supposed to pay for the water pipes too?" Chu Guang coughed. "No, that won't be necessary." Using someone else's tap was one thing, but making them pay to lay the pipes was a line of scoundrel behavior he wouldn't cross. Cohen remained silent for a long time, calculating in his mind. Ten years... Once this agreement was signed, Bister Town's fresh water supply would be firmly in his grip. If the Alliance ever sought to cause trouble down the line, all he would have to do was turn off the tap, and the Alliance would be forced to yield. As for whether one million silver coins for leasing a water supply section was expensive or cheap, he didn't particularly care. A single river dike had at least eight water supply sections. Leasing one to the Alliance wouldn't hinder them much, not to mention that it was the property of a vassal state. Feigning a reluctant expression, Cohen nodded. "Deal! But let me state upfront: the rental rates for the camp and other expenses must also be written into this contract!" There was currently no stable trade relationship between the two parties. He didn't want a situation where, right after he agreed, the Alliance tacked a zero onto the camp's rental fee. At that point, never mind one million silver coins, even ten million or a hundred million wouldn't suffice. Chu Guang smiled and nodded. "No problem. However... before signing the contract, I must give you a reminder." Cohen narrowed his eyes at him. "What reminder?" "While in our camp, Wilante personnel must abide by our laws and regulations. This includes strict prohibitions against looting, theft, and..." Seeing the big-nosed man's darkening expression, Chu Guang spared him some face and lowered his voice slightly. "...and any conduct unacceptable in a civilized society is regarded as a crime on Alliance soil. If an unpleasant incident occurs, we will not show leniency on account of your noses; we will punish the offenders according to Alliance law." "So if you wish to avoid diplomatic disputes, or even graver consequences, you had best spend some effort keeping your subordinates in line." Cohen glared at Chu Guang with a grim face. "I don't need you to tell me that. I will handle it myself!" Chu Guang nodded, smiling broadly. "That would be for the best."